The Best Skincare Practices For Summer
Now that summer has definitely hit the doorstep, we thought it was the perfect time to share with you essential little reminders to keep a beautiful and healthy skin !
We often forget that, as we change clothes from one season to another, we also need to change our skin care habits to adapt the best way to the new needs of our skin. Consequently, the transition from winter to summer can be a bit tricky but let’s go through the best practices together !
Common Skin Issues In Summer
First, you may want to understand what exactly are the issues that you may encounter during the hot season.
You surely already know that the sun is much stronger during the summer, causing redness and burns, but what you must especially have in mind is that there is a high risk of hyperpigmentation.
Moreover, humidity and heat are higher, so you can face a great loss of hydration and an excessive sebum production, leading to oily skin and acne breakouts. Additionally, it also causes the skin's pores to open, increasing its vulnerability to damage from oxidizing agents.
Starting Point - The Importance Of Cleansing
During summer, you may want to cleanse your face at least twice a day as hot and humid weather can generate excessive oil production resulting in clogged pores, blackheads, blemishes and breakouts.
We highly recommend using a foam cleanser, as their formulas and texture are lightweight and gentler while ensuring a deep clean removing sebum, dirt, sweat as well as your sunscreen, that may clog your pores if not removed. However, make sure to use a hydrating cleanser in order to cleanse your skin without damaging it, stripping it of its natural moisture and perturbing its microbiome (your skin ecosystem).
Little tip: During the day, you can carry blotting paper with you to get rid of excess oil and to keep looking fresh !
Exfoliation - The Key Step
You may also need to exfoliate your skin more often but avoid over-exfoliating as it can irritate your skin and damage your skin barrier.
We recommend exfoliating everyday ! But you will tell me, everyday is too much, right ? Well that is true, except if you carefully select the right product !
In order to remove dead skin cells and impurities from the air that accumulate on your skin and clog your pores, you should go for toner pads with a hydrating formula and a low acid concentration ensuring a very gentle physical exfoliation.
Gradually and slowly increase the frequency of exfoliation in summer to keep your skin healthy, especially if you have oily and acne-prone skin. Give extra attention to your skin barrier, with the sun it can become very sensitive, so make sure you don’t use harmful products or exfoliate your skin too much and with the wrong products.
Make Moisturization And Hydration One Of Your Top Priority !
Even if your skin tends to look less dry in summer, it still needs to be moisturized. However, you don’t need a cream as rich as what you would use in winter. We rather recommend a lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizer to keep your skin nourished without clogging pores. We recommend using products that contain ceramides and humectants, ingredients like glycerin or aloe vera, to lock in moisture.
No need to remind you to drink plenty of water along the day to maintain hydration from the inside. Sweat and excessive oil production during summer might make you think that your skin is more hydrated but in reality, environmental dehydrators like sun exposure and heat, humid weather and air conditioning can all contribute to hydration loss in the skin. It is also the reason why it is important to strengthen your skin barrier thanks to effective ingredients and lightweight formulas, for your skin to be able to retain hydration.
Decoding Antioxidants For Summer
As your skin is more sensitive to oxidants in summer, you particularly need to incorporate antioxidants in your summer skincare routine, especially because they protect the skin from environmental aggressors and particularly from sun damage.
First, it includes having a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which are high in vitamins and antioxidants. Don’t hesitate to take supplements that are an easy alternative to reach your daily needs in vitamins and antioxidants.
Skincare products can also provide you with a rich supply of antioxidants but try to prioritize low concentrations to not make your skin sensitive, as there are so many aggressors in summer. For example, niacinamide based skincare can bring Vitamin B3 which helps build the skin’s natural barrier and prevent UV damage. However, be careful with Vitamin A (retinol) products that increase the skin’s sensitivity to the sun.
Some Other Tips To Keep In Mind !
Aloe vera is very beneficial during the summer due to its soothing and refreshing properties, making it ideal for skin that has been exposed to the sun for extended periods or damaged by sun exposure.
You might feel like taking multiple showers to stay refreshed but we recommend limiting the number of shower and keeping them short (4-5 minutes) as long showers can overly dry your skin.
Lastly, keep your skincare products in the fridge !
